Beechcraft C35 N782D

Summary

On 17 December 1997 at about 20:54 local time, a Beechcraft C35 registered N782D was involved in an accident near Evansville, Indiana, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 December 1997 at 20:54

Classification

Accident

Location

Evansville, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Skylane Airport (3EV)

Coordinates

37.9690, -87.4795

Aircraft

Beechcraft C35

Registration

N782D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI98FA068

1 person died.

Improper maintenance by the use of a loose fitting unapproved fuel line, which resulted in fuel starvation and the loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane hit the tops of trees located about 280 feet from the impact site on the side of a highway berm. The descent angle measured eight degrees. The left wing hit two small trees located 17 feet in front of the initial ground scar. The airplane spun around and came to rest 9 feet from end of the initial ground scar. No propeller ground scars were found. One propeller blade was undamaged. The other blade was undamaged except it had 4 inches of chordwise scratching on the backside of the blade. The examination of the airplane revealed flight control and engine continuity. The fuel system on the engine had been converted to a fuel injection system. The fuel in the airplane was autogas. A green hose was found connecting the fuel line at the fire wall to the engine driven fuel pump. The fuel line was marked, 'GATES 6C5D FLEXLINE 5/16 INCH 1500 PSI MAX HYD WP MADE IN USA.' The manufacturer of the green hose reported it was a common hose used for petroleum products such as transmission fluid or anti-freeze. The manufacturer reported it had not made aviation hoses for many years. Inspection of the green hose revealed that the B nut attached to the fire wall was loose. A witness reported that the pilot performed maintenance on the airplane, although he was not an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.